Approved Document B 2026: What's Changing for Fire Safety on 30 September

From 30 September 2026, Approved Document B introduces major fire safety changes for new residential buildings over 18m, including second staircases and evacuation lifts.

This guide explains what is changing, how it affects fire strategies and evacuation planning, and why it is increasing demand for fire safety professionals.

At a Glance

• Residential buildings over 18m will generally require more than one common staircase. 

• Evacuation lift provisions become part of the expected fire strategy. 
• Designers must demonstrate greater evacuation resilience. 
• Existing buildings are not required to retrofit second staircases, but fire risk assessors may need to revisit assumptions. 
• Demand for fire engineers, assessors and fire compliance professionals is expected to increase.

Where Approved Doc B Sits in Fire Safety

Approved Document B (ADB) provides guidance on meeting key fire safety requirements. It covers means of escape, fire spread, structural fire protection, and access for firefighting. Volume 1 applies to homes and flats, while Volume 2 covers other types of buildings.

Three key points are worth understanding:

ADB is guidance, not legislation:
Following it is the most common way to demonstrate compliance. You can use alternative solutions, but you must fully justify them.

ADB applies to building design and construction:
Once a building is occupied, separate legislation manages fire safety, including the Fire Safety Order. Building owners and Responsible Persons must still maintain suitable fire risk assessments.

Design decisions have long-term consequences:
The fire strategy developed during design is handed over to those responsible for managing the building. Clear records and accurate information are essential, particularly for higher-risk buildings and golden thread requirements.

The 2026 Changes Explained 

Second Staircases 

Until now, high-rise residential buildings could have a single staircase, as long as other fire safety measures were in place such as sprinklers, smoke control systems and firefighting shafts. 

From 30^th September 2026, new residential buildings at or above 18 metres need more than one common staircase. A second stair case is now the expected approach.

Which buildings does this apply to?

The change applies to buildings covered in ADB, Volume 1, including: 

• Residential high-rise developments
• Social housing schemes
• Build-to-rent developments
• Student accommodation

The 18m threshold is measured to the highest occupied story. 

Why is the change being introduced?

The aim is to improve safety if one staircase cannot be used during an emergency.

A second staircase provides: 

• Alternative escape routes if smoke affects one staircase.
• More separation between residents evacuating and firefighters.
• Improved support for assisted evacuation.

What does it mean for fire safety strategy?

Designers will need to consider how both staircases are protected from fire and smoke, whether the routes are separated well, how smoke control systems work alongside both staircases and how evacuation and emergency services interact.

Evacuation Lifts 

What is an evacuation lift? 

A lift designed for helping people evacuate during an emergency, particularly residents who cannot use stairs without assistance.

Unlike a standard passenger lift, an evacuation lift includes additional protections and features that allow it to form part of the building's evacuation strategy.

It is also different from a firefighting lift, which is primarily intended for fire service use.

Why does it matter?

Many modern fire strategies have historically relied on either a "stay put" approach or residents evacuating via stairs.

However, this can create challenges for people with limited mobility.

Evacuation lifts provide a practical solution by allowing assisted evacuation where stairs alone may not be suitable.

What are the implications?

Installing an evacuation lift is only part of the solution.

Building owners and managers will also need:

• Clear evacuation procedures
• Staff training
• Resident information and support plans
• Ongoing testing and maintenance

In short, an evacuation lift must be supported by a workable evacuation plan to be effective.

Evacuation and Escape Planning

What else is changing?

Buildings should be designed to support different evacuation types if the original strategy can no longer be relied upon.

This might include:

• Partial evacuation
• Phased evacuation
• Full evacuation

Fire strategies should clearly explain:

• Which evacuation approach the building supports
• How that approach could change during an incident
• How residents would be informed
• What systems and equipment support the strategy

Evacuation alert systems, communication systems and clear resident information all play an important role.

What does this mean in practice?

Increasingly, fire safety strategies will need to be supported by evidence rather than assumptions.

For developers, fire engineers, housing providers and building managers, evacuation planning is becoming a key part of demonstrating building safety compliance.

What About Existing Buildings?

The 2026 changes apply to new building work, not existing buildings. 

There is no requirement to retrofit a second staircase or evacuation lift into existing residential blocks.

However, existing buildings will still be affected indirectly through:

• Fire risk assessments
• Evacuation planning
• Building remediation programmes
• Insurance and lender requirements

For some housing providers and building owners, the changes may prompt a review of existing fire safety strategies and assumptions.

Transitional Arrangements

Some projects already progressing through the building control process before 30 September 2026 may be able to follow the previous guidance under transitional arrangements.

Developers with live schemes should review the latest government guidance and confirm which rules apply to their projects.

What Should You Do Now? 

Before the changes come into force:

• Review any residential schemes over 18m currently in design or approval stages.
• Confirm whether transitional arrangements apply.
• Reassess fire strategies, smoke control and evacuation planning.
• Consider how evacuation lifts will be managed in practice.
• Ensure building safety information is clearly documented and passed on after completion.

What This Means for Housing Providers and Facilities Managers

The Approved Document B changes form part of a bigger shift in building safety.

The Building Safety Act 2022 places greater emphasis on competence, accountability and maintaining accurate building safety information throughout a building's lifecycle.

At the same time, Awaab's Law is raising expectations for how quickly housing providers address safety-related issues in occupied homes.

How Awaab's Law Phase 2 Will Affect Social Housing from October 2026 >>

Together, these changes are driving greater scrutiny of fire safety processes, building compliance and workforce capability.

For many, the challenge is not understanding the regulations. It's ensuring they have the right people in place to meet them.

Fire Safety Recruitment

As regulations become more demanding, the need for specialist fire safety expertise grows.

Roles expected to remain in high demand include:

• Fire Risk Assessors
• Passive Fire Protection Surveyors
• Fire Engineers
• Building Safety Managers
• Fire Compliance Specialists

These professionals play a key role in supporting fire safety assessments, remediation projects, evacuation planning, compliance programmes and building safety management.

A Simple Readiness Checklist

If you're responsible for housing, FM or property services operations, consider:

• Which buildings are affected by the latest regulatory changes?
• Do your fire safety processes and records meet current expectations?
• Do you have enough qualified people to deliver assessments and compliance activities?
• Are evacuation procedures documented and regularly reviewed?
• Will you need additional fire safety resource over the next 12-24 months?

How We Can Help

We help housing providers, FM organisations, contractors and property services businesses recruit specialist fire safety and building safety professionals, including:

• Fire Risk Assessors
• Fire Engineers
• Passive Fire Protection Surveyors
• Building Safety Managers
• Fire Compliance Specialists

Whether you're building a long-term compliance team or need support for a specific project, our Fire division can help you access experienced specialists.

Contact our Fire Safety division >>